| Date : 2007-10-11 |
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“Companies are no longer the end, they are a means to an end. My only loyalty is to
me and to the richness of my experience of life, not to a company.” So says 26-year-old
Mike Stopforth. His statement may have business leaders grinding their teeth, but if they
want to retain talent they better listen. He is a typical member of Generation X born in
the late 1960s to 1980s now aged in their 20s and 30s.
Stopforth says “I was totally unhappy in a normal corporation and thought I would not survive.
” He tried working as a music producer, a church volunteer, and then selling earth-moving equipment.
“But entrepreneurship gave me a new lease of life. I’m free of a normal eight to five job and the
gold watch at the end. I have achieved more as an entrepreneur in the last two years, than trying
to fit into the corporate world.”Mike Stopforth is now MD of his own company Cerebra a social
media consultancy specialising in emerging web trends and technologies. All this was motivated
by the birth of his son. The previous generation of Boomers would think it the dumbest thing to quit
a secure job when you have a child to support, but Mike did exactly that. “My Dad worked all his life
in the corporate world, but I never knew him because he went to work everyday and came home late. Bottom
line - I can’t imagine a price tag that could buy the freedom I have to spend with my family, on my terms,
while still doing the work I love every day.”
Generation X grew up in a time of enormous social, political and economic turmoil. They were exposed to
globalisation and the information revolution. They revel in change, diversity and learning new things.
They are individualistic, informal and want immediate gratification. They seek fun, freedom and flexibility.
What Xers value most is the search for life/work balance.
The challenge for Xers is that their vision of a fulfilling life can conflict with an impersonal, inflexible
corporate world that does not accommodate their needs. This can lead to frustration, confusion and restlessness.
Absent parents influenced them to the extent that they refuse to be workaholics, to sacrifice their lives on the
company altar. To a Boomer this may seem unmotivated or irresponsible. But then Boomers live to work whilst Generation
X works to live.
According to Keith Coates of TomorrowToday.biz, a future strategy consultancy, the generation gap has become far more
pronounced because the world is changing at lightning speed and shrinking due to travel and technology. “The problem
is businesses do not understand that Generation X is looking for different things. They are trying to lure them into
their corporations with the wrong kind of bait,” says Coates. He tells the story of a prestigious auditing firm that
head hunted a top graduate. It proudly showed off its state of the art offices and offered her an excellent package.
But its management was flummoxed when she turned them down flat. The reason she gave was that it didn’t look like any
of the employees wanted to be there or were having fun. “The problem is Boomers are looking for mini-Boomers to build
succession in their businesses. But Generation X doesn’t give a damn about titles, the corner office on the 20th floor,
perks or prestige,” says Coates.
25-year old Nwabisa Mayema, co-director of MUNSA a corporate social investment consultancy, says that she chose to leave
university and set up her own business despite attractive job offers. “Many of my friends feel boxed into a rigid hierarchy.
One of the biggest issues for Xers is recognition. They work hard and perform well but promotion and growth are out of reach
because they are deemed too young. We Xers are looking for results and we want them quickly. When one thinks of the leaps
and bounds of progress in the field of technology, we’ve become accustomed to learning quickly and making things happen. We
are looking for stimulation and continued learning. What is cushy sounding at university is soon tarnished by the reality of
working extra long hours in an airless cubicle for a boss you don’t like, with little prospect of recognition.”
The global shortage of skills has launched a “war for talent” as businesses desperately try to attract and retain people. In
their desperation, many oversell job descriptions says David Conradie, principal, Human Capital at Deloitte. “This leads to
disillusionment and a quick exit by Xers. Your brand promise must meet the brand experience. Nor does it help to throw money
at the problem. It will not buy you commitment or loyalty.”
Coates says Xers want to be measured according to outputs not inputs. “It’s not about clocking in at 8am and out at 5pm irrespective
of how productive you are. Xers want to be told what is expected of them and left alone to get on and do it. They expect to be judged
and rewarded on their results not on how many hours they spend in an office.” Mayema agrees, “I am motivated by the fact that what
I put into what I’m doing yields what I get at the end of the month. But knowing that no matter what I did at a corporate, I would
take home the same pay cheque every month would be terribly frustrating.”
Celynn Erasmus who is 30, says her decision to set up Complete Nutrition Solutions, specialising in wellness interventions, was influenced
by her perception of the corporate world as rigid, restricted by red tape and politicised. The treatment of her father on his retirement
from a company he had worked for 37 years, enraged her. “He worked incredibly long shifts and is a candidate for a heart attack. His reward
for his loyal service was a R800 cheque.” She believes companies need to treat each employee holistically. “They need to realise we are married,
have families and that life/work balance is important. The health, emotional and spiritual well being of individuals is vital if you want to increase
productivity and retain talent.”
28-year old Buhle Dlamini would be a great asset in the corporate world. He studied analytical chemistry, and then did a BA in Business through Unisa
focusing on Entrepreneurship. But he chose to be his own boss because he wants independence and flexibility. He is the founder of Young and Able Youth
Advisory Services, project manager of the award winning TV drama Heartlines and a consultant.
Life/work balance is essential to Dlamini. Both his parents died as a result of HIV. He and his wife adopted his younger brother. They also adopted
an orphan and have an 18-month old baby of their own. He travels a lot but many of his business decisions are motivated by the value he places on family.
“I don’t want to be owned. I like to work in partnerships or in collaboration with others. Give me a mandate to deliver on, but the freedom to pursue
other opportunities. The results will speak for themselves. The worst thing for me is a controlling leader who is restrictive and stifles passion,”
says Dlamini. “I need to be passionate about what I’m doing.”
Conradie says companies need to me more flexible and lateral thinking about managing talent. “The emphasis should be on deployment and the development
of Xers. They need to be appreciated, developed in ways that stretch their capabilities, interested and engaged in work that appeals to their hearts and
heads. They must be enabled to advance in their career and deliver what they are capable of otherwise they will leave.”
Stopforth would consider working for a company if it offered him the opportunity to work in an open, collaborative space, allowing freedom and self-management
with an implicit understanding that he work in his own unique way. “I have had offers but turned them down because not all the pieces fit. I know I’m good at
what I do and it would really have to be worth my while to sacrifice some of the richness of life I enjoy now.”
Coates did a study of the 10 best companies to work for in Europe listed in Fortune magazine. “Companies that are involved in meaningful social engagement beyond
just profits appeal to Xers and another commonality is a fun environment.” But fun means different things to different people. He quotes the example of a company
where management held a fun day for staff at great expense. But the Xers’ response was lukewarm. There were comments like “unappreciative little snots”. But when
asked if the Xers had been consulted about what they thought would be fun, management reacted with stunned silence. “It’s the same kind of thinking that bans access
to the Internet because it’s seen as a form of abuse. But banning or capping the use of the Internet is like banning the reading of newspapers and magazines by Boomers.
Xers live online for information.”
“A one-size-fits-all management style will not work,” says Conradie. “Companies must enter into dialogue to understand what the different segments in their workforce need.
They must be seen as destination employers that recognise what is important.” Coates confirms the value of communication. “Companies have to break the mould and engage with
Generation X. There are no sacred cows. The solution lies with both sides trying to connect, converse and understand each other.”
But ultimately Generation X will always be difficult to pin down. Stopforth says “What I see is that Generation X is very savvy about the global reality of the economy today.
They can get a job any where in the world. The world is flat! We have no awe of the wood panelled office, suit, tie and CEO’s position. My Dad’s generation did not have many
options, but I can make money anyway I want to as opposed to the traditional business models. If you can dream it, you can do it. Fashion the work environment around you and
if it doesn’t comply, change it. For Generation X, that’s bliss.”
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| Generation X Core values |
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- Change
- Choice
- Global awareness
- Techno-literacy
- Techno-literacy
- Individualism
- Lifelong learning
- Diversity
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- Survivors
- Informality
- Whiners
- Thrill Seekers
- "Experiencers"
- Pragmatism
- Not scared of failure
- Self-Reliance
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